Business and recruitment
Explain your operations, work locations and the recruitment need. Existing sponsorship arrangements and recruitment records help frame the assessment.
EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP · FOR BUSINESSES
Employer sponsorship.
For your business.
Support for employers hiring or retaining skilled people through 482 and 186 pathways. We review the business and role, coordinate nominations and applicant preparation, and clarify the next steps.
AQYR / EMPLOYERS01 — 03
BUSINESSOperating context
ROLEDuties & evidence
PEOPLECoordinated preparation
BUSINESS + ROLE + PEOPLEADVISORY
START WITH THE BUSINESS
A role that fits your workforce plan.
Review the business, the work and the people involved.
The proposed role
Review actual duties, team structure, employment terms and salary evidence against the relevant pathway.
The candidate
An overseas hire, an existing employee or a candidate already identified can be considered. Review the person’s experience alongside the role.
EMPLOYER-SIDE PREPARATION
From business records to nomination.
Nomination and the individual visa application are coordinated, but assessed separately.
Clarify the sponsorship arrangement
Review the proposed pathway and existing sponsorship status, then identify what the business needs to prepare.
Build the role evidence
Organise business records, duties, recruitment information and employment terms. Salary and any applicable recruitment requirements need case-specific review.
Coordinate employer and applicant records
Agree responsibilities and timing so the role evidence and the applicant’s records tell a consistent story. A nomination approval is not a visa grant.
Common employer-sponsored pathways
482 and 186 at a glance.
Compare the main pathways before reviewing your eligibility.
SKILLS IN DEMAND · SUBCLASS 482
482 · Skills in Demand
The Skills in Demand visa allows an approved employer to sponsor a suitably skilled professional for a nominated role. It is a temporary work visa, and the employer, position and applicant’s background are assessed as part of the process.
What the assessment considers
- The employer’s business, sponsorship status and obligations.
- Whether the nominated role and its terms align with the applicable requirements.
- The applicant’s relevant skills, qualifications, work history and supporting evidence.
How we can support
We can help coordinate the employer and professional sides of the matter—from role and candidate context through pathway assessment, information gathering and application preparation. A 482 matter may also sit within a longer-term plan, which should be considered against the individual facts and current rules.
EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME · SUBCLASS 186
186 · Employer Nomination Scheme
The Employer Nomination Scheme is a permanent visa pathway involving an Australian employer’s nomination. The relevant stream and requirements depend on the applicant’s background, the role and the employer’s circumstances.
Two commonly discussed streams
- Direct Entry may be relevant for a professional seeking a permanent employer-nominated pathway without relying on a prior 482-to-186 transition. Specific criteria and exemptions need individual review.
- Temporary Residence Transition is a later permanent residence pathway for eligible 482 or former 457 primary visa holders, including qualifying bridging visa situations. It requires qualifying sponsored employment; it is not a starting route without that background.
How we can support
We can help examine the nomination context, role, professional history and available evidence, and coordinate the preparation across employer and applicant. Where a matter has complications or a less straightforward history, we can assess the issues before mapping possible next steps.
Visa names, criteria and processes can change. The summaries above are general information, not individual migration advice. Check the current Department of Home Affairs information or speak with a qualified professional about your circumstances.
LABOUR AGREEMENTS
Agreement-based sponsorship.
An approved agreement may support 482, 186 or 494. Which programs and terms apply depends on that agreement.
This is not a separate visa or an automatic concession. 186 Labour Agreement is distinct from DE and TRT; 494 is a regional provisional visa. Review the employer’s agreement and the applicant’s conditions together.
Read the agreement and visa guidePATHWAY COMPARISON
Compare the pathways.
482 is temporary. 186 DE can be direct; TRT follows eligible 482 or 457 employment.
A common sequence: 482, followed by qualifying sponsored employment, then employer nomination and a separate 186 TRT application. Meeting all TRT criteria is still required; permanent residence is not automatic.
| Overview | 482 | 186 DE | 186 TRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa type | Temporary skilled work | Permanent | Permanent |
| Starting point | An employer-sponsored role | Employer nomination and DE eligibility; no prior 482 required | Eligible 482 / former 457 primary holder, or qualifying bridging visa holder |
| Key preparation | Employer, role and applicant requirements for the relevant stream | Nomination, skills assessment unless exempt, and applicant evidence | Nomination, qualifying sponsored employment and other TRT requirements |
482 · Skills in Demand
- Visa type
- Temporary skilled work
- Starting point
- An employer-sponsored role
- Key preparation
- Employer, role and applicant requirements for the relevant stream
186 · Direct Entry
- Visa type
- Permanent
- Starting point
- Employer nomination and DE eligibility; no prior 482 required
- Key preparation
- Nomination, skills assessment unless exempt, and applicant evidence
186 · TRT
- Visa type
- Permanent
- Starting point
- Eligible 482 / former 457 primary holder, or qualifying bridging visa holder
- Key preparation
- Nomination, qualifying sponsored employment and other TRT requirements
Check indicative visa processing times
Official statistics are indicative only, not a prediction for your case or an employer nomination processing time.
BEFORE OUR FIRST CONVERSATION
Bring a business and role overview.
Start with an outline. Confidential records can follow through an agreed channel.
Employer information
Business activities and locations, the proposed duties, employment terms, recruitment history and existing sponsorship arrangements.
Candidate and timing
Whether a person has been identified, the intended start date, the broad work background and any known visa circumstances. Do not send confidential employee files at this stage.
AFTER THE APPLICATION
Keep the business changes in view.
An approval is not the end of sponsorship responsibilities.
Where engaged, we help identify migration-related records and changes that need attention. Employment-law, payroll and tax matters are coordinated with the appropriate advisers; the service scope is agreed for the business.
See business case experienceEMPLOYER QUESTIONS
Questions before sponsoring someone.
Start with the business process, then check applicant requirements.
Sponsorship, nomination and visa: what is the difference?
For a standard 482 application, sponsorship concerns the employer’s approval to sponsor. Nomination concerns the proposed job, duties, salary and nominated worker. The visa application assesses the person’s eligibility to live and work in Australia.
186 also requires an employer nomination and a separate visa application, but does not use the same standard business sponsorship approval step as 482. A successful nomination is not a visa grant; the two applications have separate requirements.
What will the employer need to prepare?
Start with the business structure and operations, why the role is needed, actual duties, work location, proposed contract and salary. Depending on the pathway and business circumstances, supporting records may include financial statements, organisation charts, payroll information and evidence supporting the market salary.
We also check sponsorship status, recruitment or labour market testing evidence where required, and the relevant nomination criteria. The checklist is tailored to the case; an initial conversation only needs an overview, not confidential employee records.
Can we start before selecting a candidate?
Yes. Share the business, proposed roles and timetable first. We can review recruitment and sponsorship considerations before a candidate is identified.
What are the main 482 Core Skills requirements?
This stream generally requires a nominated occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List, suitable skills and at least one year of relevant work experience. , health and character requirements apply, with exemptions where available. Some applicants also need a skills assessment.
English scores at a glance — primary applicant
- IELTS
- At least 5.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking (Academic or General Training).
- PTE Academic
- Tests taken on or after 13 September 2025: listening 33, reading 36, writing 29 and speaking 24, each a minimum.
For earlier tests, IELTS requires overall 5.0 and each skill 5.0; PTE requires overall 36 and each skill 36. The test must normally be taken within three years before applying. Exemptions may apply; Labour Agreement requirements depend on the agreement.
The salary must satisfy the applicable market salary and income-threshold rules. We check the occupation, duties, work history and evidence together. Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams have different rules; these Core Skills criteria are not a checklist for every 482 application.
Can I apply for 186 Direct Entry without first holding 482?
Yes, if you meet the Direct Entry requirements. Applicants are generally under 45, have an eligible occupation, at least three years of relevant work experience, a suitable skills assessment before applying and . Age, skills-assessment and experience exemptions may apply in specific circumstances.
English scores at a glance — primary applicant
- IELTS
- At least 6.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking (Academic or General Training).
- PTE Academic
- Tests taken on or after 7 August 2025: listening 47, reading 48, writing 51 and speaking 54, each a minimum.
For PTE tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, each skill must be at least 50, subject to the applicable validity rules. Test results must normally be current within the three-year application window. Eligible citizenship and passport evidence can also establish Competent English; other approved tests are available.
Home Affairs: Competent English scores and accepted evidence
An eligible employer nomination, any required occupational registration, and health and character requirements also matter. We assess your evidence and the employer’s proposed role before recommending this permanent residence pathway.
Can 186 TRT be my first employer-sponsored application?
Not without the required temporary sponsorship background. You must hold 482 or former 457 as the primary applicant, or a qualifying bridging visa linked to that visa history. TRT generally requires at least two years of eligible full-time sponsored employment in Australia in the three years before applying, plus an employer nomination. Applicants are generally under 45 and need ; specified age exemptions may apply. Other criteria still apply.
English scores at a glance — primary applicant
- IELTS
- At least 6.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking (Academic or General Training).
- PTE Academic
- Tests taken on or after 7 August 2025: listening 47, reading 48, writing 51 and speaking 54, each a minimum.
For PTE tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, each skill must be at least 50, subject to the applicable validity rules. Test results must normally be current within the three-year application window. Eligible citizenship and passport evidence can also establish Competent English; other approved tests are available.
Home Affairs: Competent English scores and accepted evidence
Changing employers does not necessarily restart the qualifying period. Which employment counts depends on your visa and nomination history. We review those dates and records, together with the remaining skills, health and character requirements.
This is general information, not a complete eligibility assessment. Applicable rules and exemptions may change; seek advice on the actual business and applicant circumstances.